Mincemeat Crumble Bars made with a rich and buttery spiced oat crumble base, store-bought mincemeat and a golden and crispy walnut oat crumble topping, a festive take on the traditional mince pies, but reimagined as a rich, crumbly traybake which is easier to make and serve, and perfect for gatherings and cosy afternoon teas. These divinely decadent mince pie crumble bars are just perfect with a mug of mulled wine or a hot cup of tea, coffee or hot chocolate.
A divinely homely treat that is so easy to make with a handful of easily-available and budget-friendly ingredients, these mincemeat crumble bars are the best take on the traditional mince pies.
Christmas is the time of indulgence and cosiness, and this sweet treat is a fine example why home baking simply cannot be beaten by any ready-made treats. Sure, the crumble bars use store-bought mincemeat for more convenient, accessible recipe, but the rest of the work is done with much love and festive joy.
Mincemeat goes beyond the classic mince pies, and it can be used in so much more. I experimented with mincemeat and apple crumble, gingerbread mince pies, mince pie tart, mincemeat flapjacks, chocolate mince pies, frangipane mince pies, mincemeat pinwheels and mincemeat loaf cake.
All these wonderfully festive desserts use ready-made mincemeat and they are so delicious, they make the perfect family-friendly Christmas desserts for the whole holiday season.
Unlike traditional crumble recipes, which use cold butter to make the crumble mixture, I prefer using melted butter to get a beautifully rich and buttery crumble that is then baked to a golden, luscious perfection.
Trust me, you won't go back once you test this method, it's failproof, and gives you a much crumblier, crispier, more delicious crumb dessert than you'd ever imagined!
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Note!
Go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions!
Ingredients overview
- mincemeat - no need to go fancy, just a regular jar of mincemeat would do
- flour - I used plain, everyday flour, we don't need any raising agents added
- butter - I always have salted butter around because it's what I like, but texture or taste wise, I haven't noticed any difference between using salted or unsalted butter
- oats - rolled oats are the best, they give a nice crunch to the crumble bars, but porridge oats can be used too if that's what you have around. I wouldn't use instant oats though, as they are too fine
- spices - I used a mixture of ground cinnamon, ginger, allspice and mixed spice for a nice heat and flavour
- walnuts - add a nice crunch to the topping
Step-by-step photos and instructions
- in a large mixing bowl add the sifted flour, oats and spices
- mix well to combine
- add the melted butter and use a spatula to mix it into a crumbly mixture
- line a square baking tray (mine is 20 x20 cm / 8x8 inches) with nonstick paper, add half of the crumble mixture and use a spoon to press it down well (see photo 4)
- spread the mincemeat over the bottom layer, then crumble the remaining mixture on top
- scatter the roughly chopped walnuts over and bake in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for 1 hour or until the top is golden
- remove the tray from the oven and allow it to cool down completely before slicing
Expert tips
Press the base down firmly, as this will prevent the slices from crumbling. The top doesn't need to be a compact layer, but loosely scattered to resemble a crumble.
Don't rush to slice the pie until it has completely cooled down, the filling needs to sets well for the slices to hold together nicely. Allow at least 4 hours, ideally overnight before slicing.
The crumble bars freeze well too, you can either prepare it and freeze unbaked, or bake it, leave it to cool and slice it, then freeze the slices individually.
Do use a non-stick parchment paper to line the baking tray, or it will be very hard to remove the crumble from the pan once cooled and set. The juices from the mincemeat might ooze out and stick to the sides of the tray.
Other crumble dessert recipes
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Mincemeat Crumble Bars
Ingredients
- 1 jar mincemeat (400 g, 13 oz)
- 220 g plain flour ( 1 ¾ cup +1 tbsp)
- 150 g granulated sugar (¾ cup)
- 220 g melted butter ( 1 cup)
- 75 g rolled oats (1 cup)
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon mixed spice
- 50 g roughly-chopped walnuts (â…“ cup)
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit).
- In a large mixing bowl sift the flour, add the sugar and spices and mix well to combine.
- Add the melted butter and use a spatula to mix everything into a crumbly dough.
- Line a square baking tray (mine is 20x20 cm, 8x8 inches) with non-stick paper and spread half of the mixture over.
- Press down firmly using a spoon so you have a compact bottom layer.
- Spread the mincemeat evenly, then scatter the remaining crumble mixture over.
- Top with roughly chopped walnuts.
- Bake for 1 hour or until golden.
- Remove the tray from the oven and allow the crumble to cool down completely before slicing.
Video
Notes
- Press the base down firmly, as this will prevent the slices from crumbling. The top doesn't need to be a compact layer, but loosely scattered to resemble a crumble.
- Don't rush to slice the pie until it has completely cooled down, the filling needs to sets well for the slices to hold together nicely. Allow at least 4 hours, ideally overnight before slicing.
- The crumble bars freeze well too, you can either prepare it and freeze unbaked, or bake it, leave it to cool and slice it, then freeze the slices individually.
- Do use a non-stick parchment paper to line the baking tray, or it will be very hard to remove the crumble from the pan once cooled and set. The juices from the mincemeat might ooze out and stick to the sides of the tray.
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